Turning green (devices) into gold @ CES

Most of the gadgets, gear and technology that grabbed attention at last week’s 2010 International Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, focused on 3D TVs, smart mobile devices, wireless applications in autos and e-readers.

Green technologies had there biggest presence ever, but were still dwarfed by the ubiquitous consumer electronics. I was on the lookout for low-cost devices and applications that most of us could afford, and which would provide a cost or energy savings payback quickly.

Although there's already an established market for green-minded consumers, we aren’t willing to pay a premium for super energy-efficient electronics just yet. High energy prices will make energy-efficiency tools more appealing to a much broader audience. That needs to happen first before the people will start to make green-minded choices when buying everyday products.

There were several products that got my attention:

• YoGen handheld charger. This handheld emergency charger makes electricity generation easy because users simply pull on the string to generate a 5-watt charge. The YoGen generates the same charge as a plug-in charger, so one minute of pulling generates the same amount of power as one minute using a wall charger. Check out the charger at the YoGen online store.

• NAVTEQ's Green Streets. This digital map data provider enable drivers to save fuel and cut carbon emissions by choosing better routes, optimize cruise control, and make other efficient adjustments that economize fuel and carbon emissions. NAVTEQ is the leading provider of digital map data, navigation software and devices.

• Sony’s Vaio W Series laptop. This “Eco Edition” mini laptop comes in a green-tinted plastic enclosure made from 23% recycled CDs and a carrying case made from recycled plastic bottles. The device is energy efficient too, with an Energy Star 5.0 rating and EPEAT certification. Sony’s latest offering also has a high-definition, 10.1-inch LED screen, 250 gigabytes of hard drive storage, and up to seven hours of battery life.

And a green product that was at the show, but was unveiled in November:

• The Electronic Housekeeper. The “dashboard” by Denmark-based Electronic Housekeeper, is a wall-mountable console that interacts wirelessly with your appliances and devices at home. It monitors heating and air conditioning, and electric and water meters. What sets it apart from so many other dashboards hitting the market is that it is one of the first to give consumers monitoring of all utilities, including water.

Right now, other than Energy Star appliances, electronic devices don’t have labels to help consumers make decisions based on energy consumption. That needs to change. That will prompt people to buy based on cost and energy savings.

Brand-name manufacturers are innovating more around energy and environmental sustainability, driven both by economic interests and regulations. That, too, will drive down prices as well.

Like with everything technology-based, wait long enough and capacity will increase and costs will drop.